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The differences between configuration engineers and software design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a configuration engineer and a software design engineer. Additionally, a configuration engineer has an average salary of $101,024, which is higher than the $98,799 average annual salary of a software design engineer.
The top three skills for a configuration engineer include python, unix and java. The most important skills for a software design engineer are software development, python, and software design.
| Configuration Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $101,024 | $98,799 |
| Hourly rate | $48.57 | $47.50 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 202,945 | 315,080 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Configuration Engineer specializes in designing and developing computer systems and products. Among their responsibilities include understanding the company's needs, performing extensive research and analysis, coordinating with fellow engineers and experts, developing blueprints and prototypes, and creating test structures to be the basis for improvement. They may gather and analyze data from existing projects to identify their strengths and weaknesses, implementing solutions against problem areas. Moreover, as a configuration engineer, it is essential to monitor the progress of staff, all while implementing safety policies and standards.
A software design engineer or SDE is part of a software development enterprise. Software design engineers determine the problems or issues and figure out how to establish programs to ease and automate the situations. They fabricate style sheets for the management of the individual aspects of huge engineering projects. It is their job to develop strategies for hardware architecture and software engineering. They also handle and mentor engineering interns for professional guidance.
Configuration engineers and software design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Configuration Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $101,024 | $98,799 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $132,000 | Between $74,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | PayPal | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a configuration engineer and a software design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Configuration Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between configuration engineers' and software design engineers' demographics:
| Configuration Engineer | Software Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.6% Female, 19.4% | Male, 81.6% Female, 18.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.7% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |